The remains of a nearly quarter-billion dollar military blimp that broke free from a Maryland Army base and drifted across Pennsylvania knocking down power lines before crashing into woods have been carted away.
A Pennsylvania National Guard Chinook helicopter lifted pieces of the white dirigible, named JLENS, in a net to a field in Muncy, Pennsylvania Saturday morning. The blimp's remains were then loaded onto Army vehicles and taken away. Its final destination has yet to be determined.
The 240-foot-long helium-filled blimp broke free from its mooring at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Maryland on Wednesday and floated north into Pennsylvania for three hours. A long cable dragged by the airship left damage its wake — taking down power lines and damaging property. Electricity was knocked out to 27,000 customers.
The blimp finally broke into two pieces as it crashed into trees in Muncy — which is near Bloomsburg University. National Guardsmen and state police were forced to shoot holes in the airship to release remaining helium.
The $235 million blimp — officially called a Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System — was developed as an elaborate radar system meant to detect missiles and enemy aircraft. It cannot be steered remotely. The military removed the radar equipment from the wreckage on Friday.
The Army has begun accepting damage claims from those affected by the runaway craft. Officials are looking into how the blimp broke free.
